My Most Used Makeup

Happy Easter everyone, hope you are all having a lovely time if you're off! I'm putting this up a little earlier than I usually would because of the Bank Holiday! I think it’s fair to say most of us here probably have a little too much makeup (am I right or am I right?) and while I definitely do, I still have products that I use way more than others so I thought I would share these today. The first three products aren’t going to be a surprise to anyone who has stumbled across my blog before as I feel like I mention them every other post! Sorry!

Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Oily/Combination skin in Buff

My favourite drugstore foundation, it has medium to full matte coverage and has a great selection of colours for paler skinned girls. My favourite ways to apply this are with my fingers or a damp beauty blender and it blends in seamlessly giving me great coverage all day long. Revlon have recently brought it out with a pump so I’m excited to give that a try though I stocked up on the old bottles as they were half price for a while there so it could be a while before I get my hands on one! More about it here! 

No7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder in Translucent

Again I never stop banging on about this either (sorry!). It is the best powder I’ve ever tried and while I usually have two or three powders on the go (to stop my skin getting used to them) this one wins every time when I know I need something that it going to mattify my skin, look undetectable and help my foundation stay put all day! It’s so lightweight and long lasting, the compact is nice and weighty with a big mirror and No7 always do £3 off vouchers so it’s regularly on offer! Try it, you won’t regret it!

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer in Light

Another product I won’t spend too long talking about because you can read my full thoughts here but this is the best concealer ever! Creamy, full coverage and so handy to travel with as it has a mini powder compact and mirror, I couldn’t be without this! The left hand side is perfect for covering dark circles and the right hand side is great for concealing blemishes!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Lovers Coral

I think this was the first proper lipstick I ever bought on the recommendation of Alix from I Covet Thee a few years ago! It’s a sheer coral number that is light and glossy on the lips and just gives the most perfect colour to brighten up your face! As you can tell by the size of the bullet left this is very well loved by me! Although I’ve more recently got a few fancier lipsticks from Urban Decay and MAC there is just something about this one that I always come back to. I also have a backup even though it will probably take me another year to finish what’s left of this one!

Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics

Hands down my favourite eyeshadow palette and it contains the only eyeshadow I have ever hit pan on which considering the amount of palettes I have, I never thought would happen! Quite obviously Frisk is my most used shade and I usually take it all over the lid then put some Primal in the outer corner and Undone along my lash line with Skimp on my brow bone! I get so much more wear out of matte shades as I find them easier to work with and quicker to apply especially in the mornings! I do really like the original Naked Basics palette too but just slightly prefer the cooler tones of this one!

l-r Skimp, Stark, Frisk, Cover, Primal, Undone

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

I remember the hype when this came out last year/two years ago (I can’t even remember anymore) and I thought it looked amazing  but no way was I paying £56 for a few blushers. Fast-forward to more hype over the next limited edition offering of the ambient lighting edit and I decided I didn’t want the tiny pans, highlighter, powder and bronzer but I needed the blush palette. Thankfully John Lewis seemed to have a few in stock and I spent the most money I ever have on a beauty product and bought the blush palette (though it was PayPal money so that doesn’t really count does it?). I was expecting a metal palette for some reason and was a little disappointed in the size of the pans but the quality of these blushes is beautiful. They are so soft, last all day and give the most gorgeous glow to the skin. I originally thought Incandescent Electra would be my go to but it’s actually my least favourite as I find it a bit too glittery for my liking. Mood Exposure is lovely but Luminous Flush definitely comes out on top for me, it’s so subtle but just makes me look so healthy and I think it’s impossible to go over the top with these as they are so perfectly pigmented! 

L-r Luminous Flush, Incandescent Electra, Mood Exposure

Let me know if any of these are your favourites too! 

Danielle xx

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Five things I’m Loving | March 2016

I don’t do monthly favourite posts but I enjoyed writing up my last “Five things I’m Loving” in January and thought it was about time I do another! Again there is a mixture of products, some of which are new to me and some that are repurchases!

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm

I bought this in a set of three a while back but was busy using up other cleansers before opening one of these! I am so glad to have it back in my routine and it’s definitely my favourite balm cleanser and totally worth the price tag in my opinion as I mentioned here! I generally use it at night as a second cleanse and it’s so gentle yet feels so luxurious to massage into my skin. It doesn’t sting my eyes and along with the included cloth it removes makeup effortlessly leaving my skin feeling super soft, hydrated and cleansed. It has a zesty orange smell and the pot lasts ages too!

Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil

This is another repurchase of mine though one I don’t think I've blogged about before! I love love love rosehip oil and this is my second bottle of Trilogy’s offering though I've also had the Pai version before and loved it too! Rosehip oil has done wonders for my skin, helping mainly with my acne scarring and hydration although it’s also designed to help with wrinkles. I use other oils too such as Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery which does nothing for me but with Rosehip oil I see visible results the morning after! Couldn’t be without this now! I really want to try more from Trilogy too so if you have any recommendations let me know in the comments!

Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Book Volume 1

I had wanted to try the infamous sculpting powder for the longest time so when I saw this kit my eyes lit up…until I saw the price. I definitely didn’t want to pay £47 for it but when I saw it on sale at Space NK after Christmas for £24 I snapped it up (sorry it's out of stock now!) It contains the celestial powder in Starlight, three eyeshadows to accentuate and highlight, shade and define (and some can also be used to fill in brows), the celestial powder in Candlelight and the sculpting powder in medium.  When the palette came I was shocked at how small it was, the eyeshadows are big but the round powders are so small! The sculpting powder is very pigmented and a lovely contour colour though so you don’t need much on your brush to get some payoff. I've been getting a lot of use out of the eyeshades too, using the pinky shade on my inner corner, dark brown on my eyelid and the warmer toned brown on my outer corner. The only shade I haven’t been getting much use out of is the brightening Starlight shade as it’s just a bit too stark for me! Overall a lovely palette but one I would definitely hold off getting until it’s in the sale again!

Finally onto my last two products and these are both Urban Decay lipsticks (and my only UD lipsticks). I won a giveaway on the lovely Pam’s blog at the start of February and I think I’ve had the Sheer Revolution lipstick in Liar on me every day since then! It’s so easy to wear, hydrating and gives the perfect pinky nude colour to my lips! The limited edition UDxGwen lipstick collection was released around the same time and I told myself I didn’t need it until I started seeing swatches and convinced myself I did! Unfortunately for me the shade I wanted “Ex-Girlfriend” was out of stock so I signed up to Feel Unique’s mailing list and hit buy as soon as the back in stock email came through! Again it’s an easy to wear, hydrating pinky nude and again I won’t win any awards for being daring in my lipstick choices but to me you can’t go wrong with these shades and I know I will use both up completely! In fact I toyed with the idea of buying a backup of Ex-Girlfriend!

l-r Ex-Girlfriend, Liar

So that’s what I’ve been loving lately! Let me know if you’ve tried any of the products I’ve mentioned or if you have any recommendations for me!

Danielle xx

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Product Empties #8

It feels ages since my last empties post but I’ve gathered together a few more products I’ve finished up to give a quick rundown of!

Hair

VO5 Refresh Me Quick Dry Shampoo

This gets a frequent mention in my empties and I spoke more in depth about it here but basically I love it and it’s my favourite dry shampoo! It can be quite hard to find at times (I usually get mine at Savers) and its smells really fresh and leaves no white cast! Constant repurchase!

Tigi Bed Head Mini Masterpiece Massive Shine Hairspray

This little bottle lasted me ages! It smells amazing like all Tigi products I’ve tried and while it wasn’t great for setting styles it did leave a good shine! I probably wouldn’t repurchase but would happily use it up if I got it in a set like this one!

Body

Nivea Rich Moisturising Body Moisturiser*

I love the scent of this! It feels so moisturising and dries quickly into my body and it’s always on offer! I have a whole post on it here!

St. Moriz Instant Self Tanning Lotion Dark

This is one of my favourite fake tans! I find lotions wear off on me better and are more moisturising while the dark version gives me a perfect colour so I only need to apply once to be happy with how it develops and its lasts me around 4/5 days without going patchy. It wears off well but not as well as White to Brown but this will be forever repurchased especially as it's so cheap!

White to Brown Self-Tan

I got this in a set the Christmas before last and am only getting through it now! It’s a lotion which is my favourite form of fake tan; it smells good and leaves the perfect tan colour on my skin with no streaks! It’s more expensive than I usually go for so I wait to buy it when it’s on offer or in a set but it did last me ages and I was using it almost weekly! It also wears off really evenly! I have another bottle waiting to go that I got for Christmas!

Skincare

Caudalie Grape Water

This was nice and refreshing but I didn't notice any skin benefits. I do have another one in my stash and will happily use it up but probably won't repurchase!

Garnier Express 2 in 1 Eye Makeup Remover

I’ve talked more about this here but basically if you are after a gentle but effective budget eye makeup remover you need to try this! Especially if you use waterproof mascara! It’s amazing and I have already repurchased!

Pai Chamomile and Rosehip Calming Day Cream

I got this free with a Beauty Bay order a while back and though I’m not a huge fan of the scent of this it kept my face hydrated and was the perfect size for travelling with so I usually kept it for when I was staying away! Probably wouldn’t repurchase the full size though.

Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate

I got this free in a Beauty Box ages ago and have used it so sparingly as I am obsessed with the scent! It smells so familiar to me for some reason though I’m not sure why! It doesn’t get the greatest reviews online as alcohol is a big ingredient in it but it made my skin feel nice and smooth and it sank in quickly! The full size is too expensive for me to repurchase but I loved using this up!

Makeup

Revlon Colorstay Foundation for Oily/Combination in Buff

This foundation and the next two products are all constant repurchases for me and feature in this post too! Rumour has it these are coming to Boots with a pump which is bound to please a lot of people! I’m actually more used to pouring foundation out than having a pump as a lot of my favourite foundations are just an open bottle so this doesn’t bother me! It’s a great full coverage foundation and Buff is a perfect colour match for me!

No7 Perfect Light Pressed Powder in Translucent

My favourite setting powder that mattifies my skin and doesn’t look cakey at all! I always repurchase this and like to buy it when No.7 have the £3 off vouchers! If you have oily skin you need to try this!

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer in Light

This is one of my favourite concealers and has its own post here! It’s so handy for on the go as well as it has a mini powder compact and I have already repurchased!

Max Factor Intensifying Balm in 10 Charming Coral

This features in my first ever post (cringe) here! I love the subtle colour it gives to the lips but I found it a little drying after a while and I kept having to reapply which I think dired out my lips even more! I probably won't repurchase as it’s a little expensive but great for adding some colour and tint to the lips!

Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lipbalm

Another constant repurchase for me and I usually have two or three backups ready before I run out! I love the peppermint scent and this is instantly hydrating and long lasting!

Fragrance

Soap and Glory Mist you Madly Body Spray x2

This has featured many times before as I use it all the time! It’s one of my favourite scents and these travel sizes are perfect for sticking in my hand bag or travelling with! I've already repurchased a big bottle and a travel size and I usually refill the travel sizes too!

DKNY Be Delicious

Another one of my favourite scents that has featured before in an empties before! This scent is so fresh and lasts all day on me and I already have a 50ml opened that I got for Christmas!

So that’s my empties this time around! Lots of familiar products that are constant repurchases for me! Let me know if you’ve tried anything and what you thought!

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.

Danielle xx

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PMD Personal Microderm Review*

A few months ago I was lucky enough to be sent the PMD* to try out and after six weeks of use I’m ready to share my thoughts! I have quite a lot of hang-ups about my skin as I used to have acne so I've got quite a lot of scarring. This mainly affects how even my skin is more so than pigmentation as I had laser treatment last year for that so microdermabrasion has been on my radar for quite a while! My skin is also oily but dehydrated and can get quite congested around the sides of my nose and my chin! I’m happy with my skincare routine at the minute but always have room for something to give my skin the little somethin’ somethin’ it needs! Spoiler alert – I think the PMD is doing just that!

The device comes with everything you need to perform microdermabrasion at home and inside the box is:

·         A PMD with training disc and plastic cap already attached

·         Electric plug and 3 adapters

·         3 face discs and 3 body discs

·         Plastic cap for body discs

Also included is an informative booklet and a short DVD that explains how to use the PMD properly and what to expect from continued use. Using the PMD on a regular basis will reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and light scarring. It will also improve overall skin tone and texture by fading uneven pigmentation, sun damage, age spots and blemishes. It addition, it helps to reduce the formation of acne scars as it helps clear out clogged pores and release trapped dirt and oil leaving skin clearer and more vibrant. Sounds good doesn’t it?

The discs have aluminium oxide crystals on their surface which spin to exfoliate away the dead, dull skin cells on the surface of the skin. As the epidermis is removed, new cell growth is stimulated and topical products penetrate faster, maximising the benefits of the skincare products you are using!

The instructions and DVD give a brilliant run down of the dos and don’ts when using the advice but some of the main ones I thought were worth mentioning are: it’s important to use the device on clean, dry skin so it doesn’t drag and to use upward motions while pulling the skin taut. Take care not to go over the same area twice in the same session or hover in the same spot and don’t press down too hard with the disc. Don’t use the device on the area above the cheekbone near your eyes and never use without the cover in place. Give your skin 6-7 days to recover after using the device and make sure to wear sunscreen! It’s also important to refrain from using any chemical exfoliants for 48 hours before or after using the PMD as skin will be too sensitive and make sure and seek approval from your doctor if you are on any prescriptions for skin issues.

I've been using the device once a week for the last six weeks, starting like the instructions suggest, with the white trainer disc which comes already inserted into the device and is the least coarse to see how my skin would react. The sensation of the device is a little like if you take the foot off a vacuum cleaner and hold it to your hand, just on a smaller scale! This suction pulls the blood flow to the surface of the skin (and you will feel it and skin will look a little red!) and triggers the body’s healing process, building collagen and elastin and leaving the skin firm and radiant.

I then progressed onto the grey disc which is for very sensitive skin then the blue disc which is for sensitive skin and now for the last three weeks I have been using the green disc which is medium strength abrasion and I have been loving the results! I generally use the device on my forehead and temples, round my nose, chin and some areas on my cheeks and have noticed such a difference in my skin! It is so much smoother, more even and feels nowhere near as clogged around my nose or chin! My skincare products feel like they have been getting absorbed more effectively and in the morning my skin looks so much brighter and clearer! I've also been enjoying using the body discs on my elbows although it can be a little fiddly and more difficult to get the PMD to stay suctioned on to move around!

I have absolutely loved using this device; at £150 it’s not cheap but when compared to the cost of professional microdermabrasion treatments offered in salons it seems so much more of an investment! I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have tried it and will certainly be purchasing the replacement heads which are £19 regularly to make sure I keep getting the best treatment possible as the aluminium oxide crystals that provide the exfoliation wear off after continued use and hope to see even more of an improvement in my skin tone and texture!

The PMD Personal Microderm can be purchased from the PMD website, Harrods, and CurrentBody

Have you tried this device or microdermabrasion before? What did you think?

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. All opinions are my own.

Danielle xx

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